Hera the House Centipede
Hera the House Centipede is a centipede who gets to be the bear's personal exterminator. Physical traits As a centipede Hera has a total of 15 pairs of limbs, one pair per body-segment. Like all centipedes she is fleet-footed and has venomous forcipules (jaw-limbs), but her venom has little to no effect on humans, and even her bite alone does little damage. Like any centipede she gets dehydrated easily and has to drink beverages constantly. Personality Hera is a goofy centipede, but she can be serious when she has to. Due to her species benefitting humans for ridding vermin she got the job of exterminator, though she likes to take her targets prisoner, alive, then eat them. She enjoys riding on bigger character's shoulders or even on someone's head (which she does to Grizzly Bear a lot) or even in Chloe's jacket-hood. Relationships Grizz Grizz is definitely her favorite, as both are prone to being silly and excitable. Grizz also lets Hera ride him the most. Panda She likes Panda rather averagely, though Panda sometimes gets creeped out by her. She sometimes envies him for looking cute, as centipedes like her are rarely, if ever, adored. Ice Bear She likes Ice Bear averagely too, though she sometimes finds him a little odd. Charlie She actually doesn't mind him at all (unlike the bears), heck she didn't even expect to meet a sasquatch, let alone make friends with one. Chloe She is actually quite impressed with Chloe's intelligence, and sometimes gets a free ride in her jacket, and also likes doing anything extraordinary with her. Nom-Nom As expected, she sort of hates him (though she doesn't hate his internet videos), but isn't above teasing or pranking him (she likes to fake threatening him that she's gonna bite and poison him with her jaw-limbs). Trivia She's named after Hera Syndulla of Star Wars Rebels. Zoology *The scientific name of the house centipede is Scutigera coleoptrata. *The house centipede originated from the Mediterranean region, but is found on every continent except Antarctica nowadays. *These centipedes can reach surprising speeds of up to 0.4 meters per second (1.3 ft/s)4 running across floors, up walls and along ceilings. *''S. coleoptrata'' has developed automimicry in that its tail-like legs present the appearance of antennae. When the centipede is at rest, it is not easy to tell its front from its back. *House centipedes lay their eggs in spring, and can lay up to 151 eggs. **They can start breeding in their third year. To begin mating, the male and female circle around each other. They initiate contact with their antennae. The male deposits his sperm on the ground and the female then uses it to fertilize her eggs. **Young centipedes have four pairs of legs when they are hatched. They gain a new pair with the first molting, and two pairs with each of their five subsequent moltings. *The centipede's natural diet is comprised of spiders, bed bugs, termites, cockroaches, silverfish, ants, and other household arthropods. **Despite benefitting humanity by feeding on household pests, the centipedes themselves are sometimes treated as vermin too. **In a feeding study, S. coleoptrata showed the ability to distinguish between possible prey, avoiding dangerous insects. They also adapted their feeding pattern to the type of hazard the prey might pose to them. For wasps, they retreat after applying the venom to give it time to take effect.6 When the centipede is in danger of becoming prey itself, it can detach any legs that have become trapped. **They use both their mandibles and their legs for holding prey. This way they can deal with several small insects at the same time. To capture prey they either jump onto it or use their legs in a technique described as "lassoing". Using their legs to beat prey has also been described. ***Hera too eats other bugs, but like the bear-trio she enjoys human-food more. *Though their size and speed can be startling, they are generally considered harmless to humans.13 Bites are uncommon, and the forcipules of house centipedes are not strong enough to easily penetrate human skin. Bites are similar to a bee's sting, with its venom causing redness and mild to severe swelling. *Outdoors, house centipedes prefer to live in cool, damp places. Centipede respiratory systems do not provide any mechanism for shutting the spiracles, and that is why they need an environment that protects them from dehydration and excessive cold. Most live outside, primarily under large rocks, piles of wood, and especially in compost piles. Within the home, these centipedes are found in almost any part of the house. Most commonly they are encountered in basements, bathrooms, and lavatories, which tend to be humid, but they can also be found in drier places like offices, bedrooms and dining rooms. The greatest likelihood of encountering them is in spring, when they come out because the weather gets warmer, and in autumn/fall, when the cooling weather forces them to find shelter in human habitats. **Like bears, these centipedes hibernate. *House centipedes are primarily nocturnal (active by night). **Hera however is more active by day than night. Gallery Category:Fanon characters Category:Female Category:Animals